About
The Anirudh Varma Collective is a contemporary Indian classical ensemble from New Delhi, led by pianist, composer and producer Anirudh Varma. An ICCR-empanelled collective of more than 200 musicians and artists from across the globe, it aims to discover, re-discover and present the tradition and diversity of Indian music in a contemporary yet rooted manner, making classical Indian music accessible to audiences of all ages and backgrounds.
Anirudh Varma formed the Collective in 2017, growing it from a handful of collaborators into an ensemble of over 200 artists from India, the US and Canada, with a compact core of around a dozen. It has released three full-length albums, Perspectives (2018), Homecoming (2022) and Sabr (2025), staged more than 700 performances in India and abroad, completed a debut US tour in 2023, and won Best Indie Band at the 2023 Clef Music Awards. Performing at venues from the Jaipur Literature Festival and Mahindra Kabira to the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre, it has become a leading force in contemporary Indian classical music.
The artistry
Trained in both Western classical piano and Hindustani music, Anirudh Varma brings a harmonic sensibility to raga-based composition, and builds each work through collaboration with a wide, rotating cast of vocalists, instrumentalists and lyricists. The Collective's sound is a natural, seamless blend of Indian and Western instruments and styles, fashioning fresh, modern music that stays rooted in raga while exploring themes from love and longing to fate, determination and celebration.
[Atlas Perspective] The Anirudh Varma Collective is one of the most ambitious and accomplished contemporary Indian classical ensembles, combining scale, craft and reach. For major festivals, cultural-diplomacy initiatives and prestige events, it is a top-tier choice.
The Anirudh Varma Collective has become a leading platform for reimagining Indian classical music for contemporary audiences, drawing hundreds of musicians into a collaborative body of raga-rooted work and helping make classical traditions accessible to younger and global listeners.